Jurors deliberate in terror retrial

6 accused of al-Qaida link

A federal jury began deliberating Friday in the retrial of six South Florida men accused of plotting terrorist attacks against Chicago's Sears Tower and the Miami FBI headquarters.

Prosecutors contend the men belonged to a fringe religious sect that sought to join forces with al-Qaida in a conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government.

But defense lawyers urged the racially mixed jury to acquit, saying the group's leader concocted the alleged plot after prodding from two government informants who promised him easy money.

Narseal Batiste, 34; Patrick Abraham, 28; Rothschild Augustin, 24; Burson Augustin, 23; Naudimar Herrera, 24; and Stanley Grant Phanor, 32, are charged with conspiring to provide material support to al-Qaida, to destroy buildings and to wage war against the United States.

If convicted, each faces up to 70 years in prison.

The first trial in the so-called Liberty City 7 case ended in a mistrial Dec. 13 after jurors agreed to acquit one man but could not reach verdicts on the other six. Their deliberations lasted nine days. Lyglenson Lemorin, 33, who was found not guilty, is in immigration custody pending deportation proceedings.

Jurors in the first trial said some in their group favored convictions but others wanted more proof that the men were serious about supporting terrorism.

The FBI began investigating the group in 2005 after receiving a tip from a local convenience worker from Yemen that Batiste had said he wanted to connect with foreign terrorists. The agency sent an undercover informant to infiltrate the organization by posing as an al-Qaida operative willing to support Batiste's plans.

Batiste, a former Chicago deliveryman, testified in both trials that he pretended to be a terrorist in a con for money and never intended to follow through.

Vanessa Blum can be reached at vbblum@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4605.